We treat many car accident cases in in our Olympia office, and a widespread symptom we see in our patients is headache. Chiropractic is a great way to treat headache. Let's look at how headache is caused by a crash and how TJ Delorie can help you.

There are many different types of headache. Headache that's triggered by an auto injury, though, typically begins as tension or strain in the muscle tissue of the cervical spine. In a collision, the neck muscles can be damaged, which results in inflammation and soreness. These types of headache can be felt in different places, including the back of the head or even the temple.

Another common cause of headache after a collision that we see in our Olympia office is cervicogenic headache, or headaches that originate in injured ligaments of the neck. Ligament injury is quite common after a crash, and it's important to get treatment for this type of problem to protect against the development of scar tissue.

Chiropractic is an effective way to treat headaches, including those triggered by auto injuries. Your chiropractic doctor will help reduce the swelling and tension in your neck, which will help relieve the headache pain.

Let us help you recover from headache. TJ Delorie has helped many patients with the same condition, and we can probably help you, too. TJ Delorie will first determine what's causing your pain and then work to restore your body to its natural functioning. Give our office a call today at 724-123-1234 to make an appointment.

Chiropractic More Effective than Drugs for Back Pain

In our Olympia practice, TJ Delorie has helped countless people heal from back pain. If you are struggling with back pain, you've probably been tempted to take some medications to decrease the pain. You should know that research indicates that chiropractic care is usually a much healthier alternative than drugs when it comes to alleviating this common type of pain.

In a 2013 report published in the journal Spine researchers included 101 subjects who had experienced back pain for at least 48 hours. Each one was then assigned to one of three groups. The first group, which was made up of 37 individuals, received chiropractic care and a placebo of the NSAID diclofenac. The second group of 38 patients received sham chiropractic adjustments and the genuine drug. The third group of 25 subjects served as the control as those individuals received sham chiropractic care and also received the placebo, thus having no real treatment at all.

Both of the groups that received some type of real treatment, whether through chiropractic care or the medication, fared better than the control patients who had no actual care. However, when the two active groups were compared to each other, the people who received chiropractic adjustments had results that were "significantly better" than those who took the drug diclofenac.

Chiropractic Promotes Natural Healing

Because chiropractic care is non-invasive and doesn't use drugs, it helps promote healing without adverse effects. For example, anti-inflammatory drugs can result in ulcers, heart problems, and other serious health concerns. Plus, the health benefits of chiropractic last longer as it's designed to correct the source of the problem, not just treat the symptoms.

If you're ready to address your back pain naturally, then chiropractic is for you. Make an appointment in our Olympia office with TJ Delorie today at 724-123-1234. We'll help ease your back pain in a healthy way!

References

von Heymann WJ, Schloemer P, Timm J, Muehlbauer B. Spinal high-velocity low amplitude manipulation in acute nonspecific low back pain: a double-blind randomized controlled trial in comparison with diclofenac and placebo. Spine 2013;38(7):540-548.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome is a common condition after a car crash, and it's something that TJ Delorie sees frequently in our Olympia office. Let's take a look at why thoracic outlet syndrome is commonly experienced after an auto injury and see how chiropractic care can help you heal.

The thoracic outlet is a bundle of blood vessels and nerves that pass through your neck and shoulder to your arm. These nerves and blood vessels don't have a lot of space, so they pass underneath and through the strong bands of muscles that support your head.

In a collision, these muscle groups can be stretched and strained. If injured, the muscles become inflamed and sore, and they can develop scar tissue which restricts movement and puts stress on the tissues of the thoracic outlet. Pressure on the nerves can cause tingling or pins and needles in the shoulder, elbow and even the wrist. Pressure on the blood vessels can also cause problems in the arm.

Olympia Thoracic Outlet Treatment

Chiropractic adjustments can be an effective way to treat thoracic outlet syndrome, as TJ Delorie will help improve mobility in your spine and restore normal nerve function in your neck and shoulder.

You don't have to suffer from thoracic outlet syndrome. TJ Delorie is conveniently located in Olympia to help you get better, whether you've been in an auto collision or not. First, we'll do a careful examination to establish the root cause of your pain, and then decide how to restore your body's natural functioning. Ready to make an appointment? Give us a call at 724-123-1234 and we'll get you back on the road to health.

We work with many back pain patients in our Olympia chiropractic office, and TJ Delorie and our staff uses an assortment of techniques to help get you out of pain and restore your spine's normal, healthy function. We find spinal decompression to be a highly effective approach.

Understanding Spinal Decompression Therapy

To help you better understand spinal decompression therapy, think of the discs in your spine like water balloons filled with jello. When you compress them (which occurs due to normal living, sustaining an injury, or other medical conditions), they can protrude, placing pressure on the nerves in your spinal column. This affects your brain's ability to communicate with tissues in the rest of your body.

If the stress on the discs becomes too high, the discs can herniate or protrude. This reduces the cushioning between your vertebrae and can cause pain. The goal of spinal decompression therapy is to alleviate this pressure to help restore your body's function and also reduce your level of discomfort.

Can Spinal Decompression Therapy Help Me?

Spinal decompression therapy relieves disc pressure through the use of a specially designed table that gently elongates your spinal column through slow and controlled movements. This decreases the pressure placed on your discs. Some studies show an increase in disc height by as much as 1.3 millimeters after just six weeks of this treatment.

If you're wondering if spinal decompression therapy could help you feel and perform better, simply call our Olympia office and schedule an appointment with TJ Delorie today. Your optimal health is our number one priority!

Resources

Apfel CC, Cakmakkaya OS, Richmond C, et al. Restoration of disk height through non-surgical spinal decompression is associated with decreased discogenic low back pain: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010;11(155). doi:10.1186/1471-2474-11-155

In our Olympia office, we see plenty of people who are suffering from back pain, and some of these folks have been advised they might need surgery to recover. Fortunately, TJ Delorie has helped many people get pain relief without the need for any type of operation. The science agrees with the results we see in our practice. One medical study published in the academic journal Spine found that seeing a chiropractor as your first move in overcoming with your back pain may literally keep you off of the operating table.

In this research study, medical researchers from Dartmouth analyzed statistics from about 1,900 workers from the state of Washington who first saw either an orthopedic surgeon or a chiropractor for their back-related issues. They then looked at three years' worth of follow-up medical information to find out whether the individuals ended up having back surgery in an attempt to correct the problem.

What the authors discovered was that 42.7% of the patients who first saw a surgeon for their back pain ended up in surgery in that 3-year time span, whereas only 1.5% of those who first saw a chiropractor had the same fate. The authors wrote:

"Even after controlling for injury severity and other measures, workers with an initial visit for the injury to a surgeon had almost nine times the odds of receiving lumbar spine surgery compared to those seeing primary care providers, whereas workers whose first visit was to a chiropractor had significantly lower odds of surgery."

These are impressive results. Consulting with a chiropractor significantly reduces your odds of getting back surgery, plus the chiropractic patients in this report "had lower odds of chronic work disability" and they also had fewer expensive MRI tests.

Let's also take note this important detail: this study was performed by orthopedic surgeons from Dartmouth College, and published in the world's most distinguished medical journal on spinal injury.

The Risks of Surgery

Any surgical procedure has risks, but a serious problem associated with spinal surgery is that there's a very high failure rate. In an important review in the European Spine Journal, researchers wrote:

"Failed back surgery is a problem that has become sufficiently widespread to even warrant its own special conferences, with recent reviews reporting failure rates ranging from 5 to 50%."

The experts in this same study concluded:

"It is extremely difficult to identify unequivocal predictor factors that can be used to accurately predict the outcome of surgery."

As a chiropractor, TJ Delorie is convinced that surgery should be the absolute last choice for treating back pain. Chiropractic works to restore your spine to its normal function--without the need of risky surgery or drugs--and many research studies have demonstrated the usefulness of chiropractic for back pain.

If you live in Olympia and you need care for your back pain, give our practice a call today at 724-123-1234 for a consultation or an appointment. We'll help get you back on the road to a pain-free life!

Studies

• Keeney BJ, Fulton-Kehoe D, Turner JA, Wickizer TM, Chan KC, Franklin GM. Early predictors of lumbar spine surgery after occupational back injury: results from a prospective study of workers in Washington State. Spine 2013;38(11):953-964.
• Mannion AF, Elfering A. Predictors of surgical outcome and their assessment. European Spine Journal 2006;15(Suppl 1):S93-S108.
  

We work with many auto injury cases in in our Olympia office, and a common symptom we see in our patients is back pain. The key to recovering from back pain caused by a crash is to understand the root cause of the problem and how chiropractic care can help.

During a rear-end auto collision, your car and car seat are rapidly accelerated forward against your torso. Since car seats don't perfectly align with the curve of your spinal column, the car seat can put inconsistent pressure on your lower back. This can cause some of your spinal vertebrae to move in one direction while an adjacent vertebrae might move in another direction. This differential motion can sprain or strain the ligaments that hold your spine together. These types of injuries can cause chronic back pain if not treated promptly. Fortunately, chiropractic is one of the most effective ways to treat back pain.

If you've been hurt in a car crash and you're suffering from back pain, TJ Delorie is here to help. The first step is to get an accurate diagnosis to determine what's causing your symptoms and then we will determine an appropriate treatment approach. Give our office a call today at 724-123-1234 to make an appointment.

As injury to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is often rather painful, we do our best to help our Olympia patients find relief as quickly and effectively as possible. In fact, TJ Delorie will tell you that the medical research shows just how much chiropractic care can help ease pain in the jaw.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With TMJ Pain and Discomfort

For example, a study published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice involved 15 people with jaw pain who were treated with neck adjustments, middle-back manipulation, and trigger point therapy via dry needling. Patients were evaluated prior to these treatments and at two weeks and two months post-treatment. The clinicians reported positive outcomes such as reduced discomfort, greater jaw mobility, and lower disability at both follow-ups.

Another research paper carried out an analysis of almost 800 studies involving manual and manipulative therapy for disorders such as TMJ and found similar results. They concluded that there is a "fair...level of evidence" that chiropractic care can help ease pain associated with jaw pain and other upper extremity disorders.

This is great news since the origins of TMJ are largely unknown. While trauma to the jaw or neck can cause pain symptoms, there are other factors to consider as well, such as grinding teeth, arthritis, and clenching of the jaw due to tension.

TJ Delorie Can Help People Find Comfort From TMJ Pain

No matter what is making your jaw hurt, call TJ Delorie now and schedule an appointment to come into our Olympia office. We'll do our best to help you smile pain-free!

Resources

• Gonzalez-Iglesias J et al. (2013, November). Mobilization with movement, thoracic spine manipulation, and dry needling for the management of temporomandibular disorder: a prospective case series. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice;29(8):586-95
• Brantingham J et al. (2013, March-April). Manipulative and multimodal therapy for upper extremity and temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;36(3):143-201
• Oral Care. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/temporomandibular-disorders-tmd on November 2, 2015

TJ Delorie sees a lot of back pain patients in our busy Olympia chiropractic office. Many of these people have some kind of spinal disorder that is causing them pain and discomfort. Fortunately, TJ Delorie has found that spinal decompression therapy is an effective way to help these people.

What is Spinal Decompression and How Can it Help Me?

Non-surgical spinal decompression is a treatment method that takes all of the positive benefits that one normally gets from chiropractic, traction, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, and myofascial therapy and combines them all into one.

The objective of decompression is to keep you out of the operating room, and that is precisely what it's accomplished for a number of men and women, as it has a documented 85% success rate.

A few of the problems spinal decompression helps with include generalized back pain, sciatica, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, compression fractures, and joint pain.

Spinal decompression works by reversing the effects of wear, tear, and the force of gravity that compresses the intervertebral discs in your spinal column. The video below demonstrates how it works to relieve pressure on your back and helps eliminate pain and disability.

TJ Delorie Can Help Patients Find Comfort From Chronic Back Pain

If you live in Olympia and you're suffering with back issues, spinal decompression treatment might be the fix. Call TJ Delorie today at 724-123-1234 for a consultation or appointment.

In our Olympia office, it isn't uncommon for us to see people suffering with sciatic nerve pain, and TJ Delorie has helped many of them recover with chiropractic. What makes chiropractic care so beneficial to those who suffer with sciatica? First off, it reduces their recovery time and a Norwegian research study confirms it.

In the study, which took place in a Norwegian hospital's orthopedic department, the authors looked at 44 patients who reported abrupt low back pain that was diagnosed as acute sciatica. The participants were all treated by a chiropractor, with the mean follow-up being two years after treatment.

The authors discovered that all but two patients went back to their jobs after receiving chiropractic adjustments, which is a 95% success rate. Furthermore, the average length of time that the individuals spent off work "was reduced by two thirds as compared with that associated with conventional medical treatment."

Considering that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that over 170,000 workdays were lost in 2013 due to employees dealing with back or spine-related issues, that is almost 112,500 work days that could potentially be recovered each and every year solely by receiving chiropractic care. Not only could that increase work productivity, but it would also reduce costs to businesses and workers from lost work.

If you live in Olympia and you suffer with sciatica, TJ Delorie is here to assist. Give us a call at 724-123-1234 and we'll work with you to find the source of your sciatic pain and get you back on the road to recovery.

Orlin JR, Didriksen A. Results of chiropractic treatment of lumbopelvic fixation in 44 patients admitted to an orthopedic department. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2007;30(2):135-139.

According to The American Academy of Pain Medicine, more people in the US suffer with chronic pain than diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined. In addition, neck pain is the third most documented type of pain, beat out only by back pain and headache.

Not surprisingly, many people come to our Olympia office seeking neck pain treatment, and TJ Delorie has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart decision, as some research shows that over 90 percent of neck pain patients benefit from chiropractic care.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic Works

A study published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy included 64 individuals who were suffering with neck pain. Roughly half were placed in an experimental group and the other half were assigned to a comparison group. Both were given chiropractic adjustments of the neck as well as a home exercise plan, whereas the experimental group also received adjustments of the thoracic spine.

Data was collected before treatment began and one week after the adjustments. The authors found that 94 percent of the experimental group reported "significantly greater improvements" in regard to pain and disability in their neck symptoms. Just 35% of the individuals who received neck adjustments showed the same level of improvement, showing that evaluating the entire spinal column is a critical part of restoring the body's normal function.

Another study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 who were dealing with neck pain. Each individual was randomly assigned to one of two groups--thoracic spine thrust manipulation or non-thrust manipulation--with examinations occurring two and four days after the treatments.

Researchers discovered that the study patients who received the thrust manipulations (the same manipulations that provided such positive results in the first study) "experienced greater reductions in disability" than the patients who received the non-thrust adjustments. Their pain was lower as well, which shows that this type of technique offers many benefits.

Help After Failed Medical Procedures

One study found the same kind of positive outcomes after thoracic adjustments in a woman who had a failed neck surgery. This particular case involved a 46-year-old patient who had recently had neck surgery but still suffered with neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.

The woman documented reduced pain in her neck and reduced headache intensity, immediately after the first chiropractic adjustments. After six weeks of care, which involved chiropractic, exercise, and patient education, the patient still rated her pain at a zero on a scale of 1 to 10. Her neck disability improved as well, with a rating score that represented that it was a "great deal better."

It is studies like these that substantiate the effectiveness of chiropractic techniques, even if you've already attempted neck surgery that didn't provide relief. So, if you are dealing with neck pain and would like to find a remedy that has a high success rate, try chiropractic. It may just be the help you're looking for.

We're located in Olympia and TJ Delorie can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at 724-123-1234.

References

• AAPM facts and figures on pain. The American Academy of Pain Medicine.
• Masaracchio M, Cleland JA, Hellman M, Hagins M. Short-term combined effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation in individuals with mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2013;43(3):118-127.
• Cleland JA, Glynn P, Whitman JM, Eberhart SL, MacDonald C, Childs JD. Short-term effects of thrust versus nonthrust mobilization/manipulation directed at the thoracic spine in patients with neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Physical Therapy 2007;87(4):431-440.
• Salvatori R, Rowe RH, Osborne R, Beneciuk JM. Use of thoracic spine thrust manipulation for neck pain and headache in a patient following multiple-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a case report. The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2014;44(6):440-449.